Sweet Santander

In order to celebrate those two Thanksgivings, I spent a weekend visiting my best friend in Santander. I now understand why she would leave Lugo for such a place.

Endless stairs

 Santander is a coastal city which isn't very big. But it does have its hills--and also outdoor escalators, moving sidewalks, and a funicular to help you on your way up. And my friend's apartment has simply marvelous views: not only because it's a top floor at the top of the hill, but you get sea views from both sides of it. Well, one is ¨the bay¨ and the other is the coast, but they´re both water and absolutely dreamy on a clear day!

On Saturday we took a train trip to the small Cantabrian town of Liérganes. One thing I truly envy about the rest of Northern Spain (Asturias, Cantabria and Basque Country) is that their towns are all well connected by local trains. Why does Galicia (Lugo specifically) have to be so isolated?! Agh. Anyways, the town was pretty, right next to some mountains. But I also have the pleasure of seeing mountains in the distance from my high school every day so...the awe has worn off. It was nice to spend an hour or two walking around though.

Ye Olde Bridge, Liérganes

We seem to have mostly grown out of the Spanish party-til-dawn lifestyle, and didn't hit the town too hard. One night we went to a Nirvana tribute band concert. They were much better than I expected; the singer sounded just like Kurt! I definitely enjoyed myself rocking out to the soundtrack of my high school years...along with a bunch of Spanish high schoolers and 30-somethings. And after preparing and celebrating Thanksgiving, there was no way I was leaving the house. But no matter, Santander, I shall return for you!

Also in the park: carved trunks

On Sunday it was unbelievably warm for being practically December. We trekked to a lighthouse along the coast. Not a hike, but a nice little walk. On the way we observed a lot of beach football matches going on. They were wise to take advantage of the weather! Later we went to a royal park between beaches: Real Sitio de la Magdalena. There they have penguins and seals in areas right next to shore. And in the wooded area there is the royal family's old vacation dwelling. A delightful park for a stroll or picnic, for sure. Then we watched the sun set at a beach bar terrace. A pleasant end to an equally pleasant weekend.

Thanksgiving

Once again, the American tradition of Thanksgiving was brought to the masses. By masses I mean about 20 people total, since I celebrated the holiday twice (which is more than I would in the USA). The first round was here in Lugo. Since my American best friend has left me for coastal Santander, I was planning on skipping the day of, and just celebrating with her on the weekend in Santander. My darling Spanish roommate, however, had other plans and insisted we prepare dinner here. There ended up being 13 of us! We used two tables for the first time ever. Fani and I made everything, and most guests brought a bottle of wine...which ended up being a lot. The menu was typical except once again, chickens instead of turkey. And Fani even made lactose- and gluten-free pumpkin pie! Not bad, for a Spaniard. ;) In attendance were mostly Spaniards, as well as a Brazilian and a pair of Englishmen. Once again we did our tradition of holding hands and saying what we´re thankful for.

Desserts! 

In Santander I only worked as Lauren's sous chef. This time was a bit more international with guests from Poland, Germany, and Africa (I realize it's a continent, not a country, but they didn't specify). Lauren prepared very expensive turkey breast, so hopefully our unAmerican friends savored it! And for dessert...basically everyone brought something. There was brazo gitano (Spanish), a Polish dessert similar to apple pie, quesada (Cantabrian), and Lauren's sweet potato pie. As Lauren and I have said before, some day we´ll plan a huge feast and charge a small entrance fee. But for now, friends who are lucky enough to receive an invite get to come taste an American tradition de balde.

Magostos and Chestnuts Galore

Oh snap! It's been a while since I've written, but the nice part of that is it's because I've been too busy livin' la vida gallega. And since the weather is now cold and the holiday decorations are coming up, I better hurry up and write about Magosto, Galician's autumnal celebration.

A whopper of a chestnut

Magosto is a chestnut-based festa celebrated mostly in Galicia (Spain's #1 chestnut producer), and also other regions of Northern Spain. It's usually held in early November and is a time to gather the community together and have roasted chestnuts. My first two years I didn't really enjoy them, but now I'm a fan. Estoume galeguizando! This year I attended not one, not two, but THREE Magostos!

The first was sponsored by the University´s Galician club: Liga Estudantil Galega, so you know it was legit. Groups of students chatted around a fire where they gave out chestnuts (castañas) roasted in a contraption similar to the metal cages used for bingo. And for snacks/dinner you could buy traditional goods like empanada and chorizo. Then there was the entertainment--a Galician band with tambourines, bagpipes, and drums. What fun! It's about time I learn how to dance like a Galician though!

The second Magosto was in a plaza in the center, sponsored by the bars and some community organizations. Again, they had free chestnuts, and the weather was nice enough to grab a beer and stand outside socializing. A lot of the foreigners took part in this one; always a jolly time.

A day in the life...

My third Magosto was at school, of course. As usual, the teachers had a lunch of chorizos and boiled potatoes beforehand. And despite having a dessert of empanada de manzana (similar to apple pie) with the teachers, I just couldn't resist trying 3 more desserts homemade by my students. It would be rude to deny them since they put them in my hand so enthusiastically! A lot of the castañas were rotten, but no matter. We played traditional games, like tug-of-war, trying to fish wine bottles, and...alcohol-free pong? American import, I guess! Then they played the broom dance, which I still don't get. Couples ¨dance¨ and have to get rid of a broom, but in reality they just end up running around holding hands tossing the broom at other pairs haha. I also got to lead the conga line for a few seconds. Groovy times!

Samhaín and All Saints

Samhaín
Samhaín is the original Celtic holiday from which modern Halloween is derived. Since Galicia is a Celtic nation, I have no problem with them bringing back this ancient tradition while the rest of Spain hops on the Halloween train. In Lugo there were some family activities that could easily have been for Halloween--pumpkin carving, costume parade. A key difference is that here the costumes are scary only. Save the funny and clever stuff for Carnival, people! In addition to that, there was a Queimada in the center. Queimada is liquor that they light on fire (thus its name) in a cauldron, after casting a spell on it. Very appropriate for Samhaín then! I went with some English-speaking friends and we were pretty hard to miss. One of the 'sorcerers' told me "It´s better than Coke!" Well, obviously. But man is it strong! We didn't even finish the cups they gave us. Then we went out and had a gay old time, where very few people were dressed up.

All Saints Day
Since I missed the train for a day trip, I figured it was as good a day as any to visit the cemetery. Unfortunately, none of my roommates had relatives I could go "visit." Anyways, my friend and I walked an hour, mostly uphill, to get there. Spanish cemeteries are a bit different than American ones in that they don´t have much grass, it's mostly marble tombs above ground, or mausoleums, or a wall with the tombstones. Took a picture of the wall, where it looks eerie, perhaps one of the souls broke out the night before on All Hallow's Eve? The cemetery was packed, with tons of fresh flowers, probably because of the holiday. In fact they had a special bus going from the cemetery to the city center. The night was finished off with a movie filmed in a place I´ve visited in Basque Country: Las Brujas de Zugarramurdi.

Cena de Gala

For the past few years, my adopted group of Spanish friends has had a yearly dinner where just the six of them (no significant others and no other friends) get together dressed to the nines to enjoy a fancy dinner and each others' company. Precious! So obviously I felt honored when this year they invited me to come along! Sure, I threw off the 3:3 male:female ratio. But no matter; being invited to this to me signified total assimilation. I can confidently say I am part of a cuadrilla/pandilla/friend group.

Los Internacionales + the real international ;)

My first claw

At the restaurant we were led to a private room for just the seven of us. To start there was toast with some toppings, a paste supposedly made of fish, but that's not what it tasted like to me. I tried to avoid this part anyways, saving room for the seafood! Then they brought out four big trays of razor clams, prawn, and scallops. I ate enough, but again didn't want to fill up on this. I thought the entire meal was going to be seafood but nay. At that point we each ordered whatever we wanted for another course--a very small steak for me. I assumed that would be our next course, but before that we were each brought a giant lobster. My eyes must have been like saucers because I definitely did not see that one coming! Had fun using the tools they gave us though. Afterwards was the personalized course, followed by dessert. Ice cream for everyone, mostly because nobody could fit anything solid down their throats.

After a delightful meal, we hit the town. It must be the only time all of them actually go out together, and nobody went home early! I think we all went home around 4, which was actually more like 5 due to the time change. T'was a wonderful evening with quality friends and food. Only my wallet is thankful it's a once-a-year event.

Las chicas (worth noting of my outfit only the tights were mine)

San Froilán

Lugo's patron saint festivities happened the first week of October, but I'm behind. As my third San Froilán, I felt integrated. Colleagues, friends, and aquaintances seemed to be around every corner. That's what I love about San Froilán: everyone's out on the street, so walking around you really get a sense of camaraderie. This year I wasn't impressed with the concert selections. In fact, the only major one I went to was M-Clan, an older Spanish pop-rock band. Galicia's own Siniestro Total also played, but due to a super late dinner we were unable to attend. Heard there was great atmosphere though, since it's a punk band with now-middle aged ¨original¨ fans, plus new teenage fans. One of the best days was Sunday, domingo das mozas. The weather was great, and we got to see lots of people dressed in traditional Galician clothing, not to mention observe them dancing and singing with tambourines. And there was an outrageous roaming band, Festicultores, livening up the pre-lunch hour. Had a blast dancing along and trying to catch the Galician lyrics.

A highlight was my best friend Lauren´s visit. Hooray! Her weekend was filled with Galician cuisine, which she probably misses over there in Cantabria (Galicians are known for eating good food and lots of it). The first occasion was for lunch at Diego´s parents' home. Instead of going down to the caseta (temporary restaurants set up only for the month of October, specializing in pulpo!), the caseta came to them. Yes, a professional octopus chef came and set up a little tent in their backyard. Too legit to quit! It was awesome to be included in this meal of an extended Galician family. Later that night for dinner we went out with a group of about 18 friends. The place was packed, because everyone goes out for dinner for San Froilán! Surprisingly we went out for churrasco (ribs, basically) and not pulpo, but I assume everyone had had their fill of octopus already. This dinner started at 10 and ended close to 2. And not because we were having a gay old time, but because the service was painfully slow. Sigh. At least we were in good company.

Lugo, Spain Americanize

Food Truck fun

Lugo has been americanizing lately, and it's not just because of me. :P For example, Halloween. OK, Samhain is a similar Galician holiday so there's not much of an argument in this case. But in other parts of Spain where there never was a similar tradition it's being celebrated today. Why? I don´t know, because it's something to spend money on? Because so many children and adults study English and learn about it in their classes? Regardless, I appreciate getting to somewhat celebrate a treasured holiday, but I'm bothered by its increasing popularity.

 Another example are the food trucks which were in Lugo this past weekend. Again, it's not necessarily an American concept, but 10 years ago I bet Spaniards would have been completely miffed by the idea. Now it's growing popular, apparently. I had a a nice time, and there was great ambiance, especially after sunset for Spanish dinnertime. Plus, I was delighted to have a bagel one day (it's been over a year) and Mexican food the other. I just find this globalization slightly...annoying. I came here to adapt to a new culture, not have the culture adopt the USA's culture.

There are some simple social interactions, however, that remain to me totally Spanish. Eating breakfast the other day alone in a cafeteria, when a stranger walked in he wished me que aproveche to enjoy my meal. A stranger! I still don't get over that, it makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside. Or saying goodbye after having ridden an elevator with someone. Today for example we said goodbye after leaving the elevator, then walked 20 feet to the building entrance, and again said goodbye when leaving the building. Had I not offered a chau or ata logo, I would have been the rude one. Just basic manners here in Spain that make life more pleasant. Maybe we can export that kind of behavior to the USA!

As Rías Baixas e As Illas Cíes

Well now that it's officially fall and tomorrow school starts (FINALLY), I guess I should write about that summer vacation long, long ago. August's weeklong vacation was spent exploring the ¨estuaries¨ of Galicia's west coast--As Rías Baixas. I've never used the word estuary in English, so basically we went to the different rivers that open to the ocean.

Ría de Vigo
I've been to Vigo before, which to me is just another big city. It does have some nice beaches, but then again the entire trip was about glorious beaches, so nothing out of the ordinary. However it was cool to see the sun setting behind the Cíes Islands. We basically spent the night here as a stopover between the mainland and the islands.

Illas Cíes

To the left the soon-to-be-covered bridge,
 to the right the infinite beach

Welp, I can finally cross camping at the Cíes off my Galician bucket list. It's a national park and tourist destination about 30 minutes by boat from Vigo. My friends said one night would be enough, but due to some drizzling, we didn't get to explore all the island. It's not even that big, honestly; there are only 2 or 3 trails. We did the Lighthouse Route, which is filled with great views of the island itself and the infinite ocean in front of you. Also, to get to the camping part of the island you have to cross a little bridge which is closed a few hours every afternoon when the tide is high. At that point it becomes 2 different islands, a view which can be observed from the trail. Except, when we were up there, it suddenly got foggy and it was as if we were in a cloud. The other main draw is Rodas Beach. It's so long I actually thought it was two. Perfect place for our daily beach breakfasts.

View from the lighthouse of another island accessible only by private boat.

Ría de Arousa

Out on the ¨open seas¨

We spent a night in O Grove on a boat. A one-of-a-kind experience, it was in Spain's only steamboat. The old storage room was converted into a big dorm with about 10 bunk beds. You could barely tell you were on a boat because the water was so calm. I was confused, however, since when we left in the evening we walked slightly downwards to the dock, but by the time we returned after dinner the tide had gone so far out that you walked down to the boat at a 45º angle. I thought we were walking onto the wrong boat! And as an added bonus, the boat owner let us use her canoe.  Never imagined myself canoeing in an inlet between floating barges (collecting seafood no doubt), dodging catamarans. Ok, so there was only one tour boat, but when you're in ¨open waters¨ in a little canoe, everything seems like a danger. We were out there adventuring for over an hour. This makes up for the time in July we skipped a prepaid canoe trip because it was raining.

O Grove is a nice town that didn't seem too bombarded with tourists like some of our other destinations. It has a nice walkway along the Ría, with sculptures and a small beach. It also connects to a small island called A Toxa via a 2 lane bridge. Apparently it's a preppy location for vacationers, but we only visited a nice park long enough to see the exquisite colors of a sunset.

Ría de Pontevedra
We were in Pontevedra city for just a few hours, so I can´t really give an opinion. It seemed fine. We spent a few nights camping in Portonovo, at a place between two blue flag beaches. Ah, the good life! One day was spent at said beaches from morning until it got too chilly just before sunset. The day I seriously burnt my butt, by the way. Ugh! The nearby, slightly larger town Sanxenxo is definitely full of summer vacationers, which means it has some nightlife (which we didn't even experience...too tired haha).

In between beaches

The real treat of this ría is Combarro, a small town rightfully nicknamed the Galician Venice. It was adorable with its hórreos right next to the ría. Lovely views, great cobblestone streets, and tiny alleys that lead to the water. And like Venice, there were also tons of shops aimed at tourists.

Two horreos and the ría

Ría de Muros e Noia

We only camped one night in Muros for their rock festival, Castelo Rock. My first overnight rock festival, although we didn't even stay in the free camping (it was in a gym, which is a lot less charming than an outdoor field). The festival was pretty good the night we saw, and it was right next to the beach. Would've been cooler if you could see the beach...or even be on the beach, but it was fenced out. We camped in nearby Louro/San Francisco near yet another delightful beach. Before the concert we spent an idyllic afternoon eating hamburgers and playing rummy at the beach café, shaded by kiwi trees and gazing at that sapphire sea between turns. Sigh, summer vacation. You were too good to me!

Rock Is Dead

This weekend I got out of Lugo for a rock fest, oléee! In a park in Santiago from 6:30-11:30, different Galician bands played covers of rock classics from bands in which at least one member had died. So they played jams by artists such as Bob Marley, Rolling Stones, the Beatles, Ben E. King, CCR, Led Zeppelin, Nirvana, RHCP. The only biggie missing for me was the Clash (whaa?) After each song, the bands switched so in total there were I think 100 musicians. There was a lot of female rocker presence, which I found brilliant--especially when they successfully sang songs by male singers. Which speaking of that, some singers nailed it with their English while others...not so much. Some of their pronunciation's were laughable. I know it's not their first language, so of course I don't expect perfection, but to those making that argument I ask, then how were some able to emulate the sounds so well then? Ah well, it was good fun anyways. At first it was sunny and people were lounging out on the grass. But then the sun went down and it turned into more of a typical rock concert--later complete with a pit of metal moshers. All in all, it was an interesting concept and fun day.

Apoio ao sector lácteo

Thought I'd take a break from describing my surreal vacations and write about current issues. A topic less grim than the humanitarian crisis of war refugees: Galicia's dairy farmers. When I first went grocery shopping in Spain, one of the things that caught my eye were the super low prices on fresh produce and milk. For a liter of milk you don't pay anywhere close to a euro. And while the more ¨expensive¨ dairy brands can cost you 80 cents/L, the store brands usually round 60 cents. How can it be?! Well now it's become obvious that it's because dairy farmers in Galicia make less than 40 cents per liter, which is barely enough to meet production costs, let alone earn a living. So in protest the farmers gathered together and did one of the most badass things I've ever seen-- they brought their tractors to Lugo. Not just a handful driving around town, but over 100 tractors lined around the Roman Wall, blocking traffic yesterday and today. Almost all roads in Lugo somehow connect to this street, making it all the more effective. At least, I hope so. Hopefully the government takes notice of this eye-catching protest and gives them their due. So, apoio ao sector lácteo! Because without farmers where would we be?

Roman Holiday

Why had I never had the desire to go to Rome? Seriously, what a wonderful city! Big, with lots to see, yet not overwhelming. And despite the fact that there were thousands of tourists, it didn't feel as foreigner-infested as Venice. You could walk down the street and hear Italian being spoken (imagine!), probably because of its size. And the history! Thousands of years of it! I used to think I was getting a pretty good deal with Spain's Ancient ruins in Lugo and Mérida, but obviously you can't beat the namesake of Ancient ROMAN society. The only downside to this leg of the trip was the sweltering heat, and that's not even something that can be taken care of by the tourist center. But really, after walking to sites that are often under the scorching sun, the heat just gets hard to bear. We ended up showering at least 2 times a day, after peeling off sweat-soaked apparel, that is. At midday I would shower during an absolutely necessary nap-time. When in Rome. I know it's thought of as more of a Spanish custom, but I wasn't about to go sightseeing during the hottest hours of the day!

Pondering the Pantheon

On Day 1 we got there in the late afternoon, so there wasn't time to actually enter anything, but we did get a great general overview of main sites. This was my first glimpse at the Forum from above--impressive! Right around the corner we saw the massive Monument to Victor Manuel. Then we went to the Trevi Fountain, but oh! it's closed and is surrounded by glass walls. Huh. Well, one thing Rome definitely isn't lacking is fountains, so we found some other lovely ones to enjoy. The Pantheon is also in that general area, so we saw that from the outside, which is pretty nifty.

Flower art at the Vatican

Day 2 found us in the Vatican, where the pope actually spoke from his little window because it was Sts Peter and Paul day. Well that doesn't happen everyday! Also because of the holiday, various groups had made pretty, (obviously religious) collages out of flowers on the ground. We waited in line for a while, but it just wasn't going anywhere and we were ill-prepared for the heat, so we decided to save it for a later day. It's worth noting, that thanks to the savviness of my cousin, we avoided the pickpocket bus, so hooray! Afterwards we went to check out the Castell Sant'Angelo (decided not to go in). In the evening we strolled the riverside which during the summer is lined with tents of bars, restaurants, and stores. Really great ambiance! And to conclude the night, there were fireworks from the same Castle in honor of Sts. Peter and Paul.

Day 3 we actually followed through on our plans to get up early. It's just so hard sometimes, especially for my cousin who was living on a 12 hour time difference. Anyways, we spent a very fulfilling morning at the Forum, one of the 2 main attractions on a tour of Ancient sites. It's all outdoors, and there is little shade in which to hide from the blazing sun. I'd give the place 5 stars for sheer brilliance, but 1 star for customer service. Jeez. At least they had water fountains to stay hydrated. Anyways, there is a lot to see, among pillars, building ruins, and temples (or remains of them). The audioguides really help bring the history alive. My favorite part was the temple to Vesta. The Vestal Virgins lived a good life, especially for women at the time, because they had special privileges around town in addition to not having to answer to a husband.

Cousins above the Forum

No statues were harmed in the making of this photograph

In the Colosseum

Day 4 we hit the Colosseum pretty early. That was cool because of it's size, but because I had been to a similar (albeit smaller) amphitheater in Nimes, I wasn't completely blown away. It was interesting though. Then we returned to the Vatican and waited in line for over an hour to get into St. Peter´s Basilica. Huge. Lots of popes. By then I was too tuckered out to do much more, but my cousin climbed up to the roof for a jolly good time.

One of my favorite statues. Just chillin...Dionysus perhaps?

Day 5 was my last day. I took a little trip to Ostia Antica, a miraculously preserved town about 30 minutes outside of Rome. I don't know how it was so well preserved, and wish I had done more research before my trip, because the place was huge. I mean, it's bigger than the Forum (which itself takes a few hours to explore), because it's an entire city. Therefore it has an amphitheater, a cemetery, forum, housing structures, baths, toilets, temples, wells, and more. Talk about a blast from the past! There´s also a small museum with great ancient sculptures. And at night my cousin and I reunited for riverside drinks. But nothing too wild, since I had more travels awaiting me the next day.

Preserved mosaic floor

So in essence, that was my trip to Rome. Had a marvelous time with my cousin, strolling, taking in the Ancient sites, and savoring the cuisine. I'd definitely return, since surely there is more to be seen.

Venice Queen

In a word, Venice in late June was foreigners. It's what most stood out to me: feeling like I was in Disney World because of the overwhelming crowds of tourists coming to see the same too-good-to-be-true scenery. So yeah, Venice is beautiful but it's hard to take in when you're busy dodging souvenir and selfie stick street vendors. The only Venetians I encountered were workers, and even a lot of those are either immigrants or commute into Venice because living there must be just too much to bear!

I don't mean to say Venice isn't great. It really is lovely, and every little bridge over the canals merits a brief stop to just take a deep breath and think, "how nice." It's a great city to meander and get lost. Or sit and people watch for hours. As far as main attractions, there is not much to see outside of the main Piazza San Marco which houses the Belltower, Basilica, and Palace. Oh, fun times, I was denied entrance to the Basilica. I was only really irritated because I had specifically put on a long-sleeved shirt to be "decent," but my knee-revealing shorts were just too scandalous! (Lesson learned for the Vatican later on)

And of course there's Venice's famous gondolas. For a mere 80 euros, you too can enjoy a 30 minute ride! Or if you're on a budget like me, watching them and hearing "Volare" drift up to your bedroom window is enough.

Ok, enough cultural complaints. Let's talk food! We had plenty of good pizza and pasta there. Just as I hoped! And because my cousin is a vegetarian, I ate more vegetables in those few days than I probably had in the 3 weeks prior haha. Also became a fan of Prosecco, sparkling white wine. And I tried Limoncello (digestive) for the first time. Whoa, it's like drinking Pledge! But when in Rome--er Venice!

San Xoan (Midsummer) in A Coruña

The night of San Juan/Xoan is celebrated June 23rd, which goes to show just how behind I am on my blogging! The night celebrates midsummer, and comes with a lot of interesting pagan traditions. But in modern times, the norm is to build a bonfire, jump over it 7 times (in Galicia at least), and eat sardines. We started off the evening with our room right on the beach. Awesome! And definitely useful throughout the night to come home for a bathroom break haha. There was live music all night long, both little roaming bands and dramatic groups on a stage. At around 7, people started wandering down to the beach to claim their bonfire spot. The city provides free wood for the occasion. Also, there's a 2-story piece they burn as the main event at midnight. All the bonfires on the beach really is a site to be seen. It's like a post-armageddon world. Since it was just Molly and me, we obviously didn't build a fire. We picked out a nice place on the beach to sit and enjoy for a while. It was probably 200 feet away from the monstrosity, and when they burned that we had to back up it was so hot! FIIIIRE! As the night wore on, we took advantage of some abandoned fires to hop over in an attempt to get ourselves lucky. It was exhilarating, really! My cousin jumped over way more than me. A great start to our cousinly travels!

Shield your eyes from the flaaaames!!

Arde Lucus

Once a summer, the city of Lugo swells with ancient Roman citizens and the invasive Celts. It's a relatively recent festival known as Arde Lucus, to celebrate Lugo's Roman tradition and how they messed around with the Castrexos (Celtic tribes living in the castros). No wonder the Celts are always violent and scary-looking! Inside the wall (city center) gets packed with Lucenses and tourists alike. Almost all are dressed as either Romans or Celts. Shun the modernly-clad people!!

Why did I even bother dressing up?

The weekend is full of activities suitable for any respectable citizen living 2000 years ago. To commence, the tribes and groups parade in. Friends and die-hard Arde Lucus fans form these groups that spend months preparing for this single weekend. The groups have encampments around the city where they spend the night like real Celts or Roman soldiers. The costumewear in general is enough to make you feel embarrassed about your reused Romanesque dress, because upon seeing these special groups you just feel like they're from the scene of a movie and you are a mere spectator. Then throughout the weekend there are ceremonies such as a Roman or Celtic wedding, where any couple can go get married the ancient way. When we went with our friend, the line wrapped around the gazebo. Part of the tradition included sharing a cookie. We also witnessed a Celtic baptism, but in practice it wasn't as pagan as I expected. Every once in a while there would be a ceremony by the Vestal Virgins, with chanting and the fire of Lugo. There was also a slave auction, which sounds so not PC, but really was a comedy group dressed as hags.

On Saturday was the grand parade with all the encampment groups of Celts, soldiers, and even Roman senators. Evidently, people knew what to expect for the parade and must've camped out way in advanced, because not only was the street was lined with people, but the Roman wall too. That's where I decided to get a good view of it all, but 1000 others had the same idea and the stragglers like myself had to walk and walk until finally finding a teeny space in the endless line of spectators. Really cool to see so many people on the wall though!

Celts ready to attack, as seen from the Wall.

In between activities, it was enough just to stand around eating and drinking with fellow Romans (or Celts, I mean, they're good guys too). There were a handful of food tents like kebabs, tacos, desserts, but with Roman or Celtic designs, which just goes to show how into it people get. There were also a few food tents with tables and benches for eating. These are typical at any Galician festival, but seeing the big chunks of meat cooking over a grill, you can imagine where that tradition comes from. At night there were also roaming performers, like a group of women dancing with fire. Or a group of men including a small band, fire throwers, and two guys on stilts who breathed fire every once in a while.

Compatriots in front of the Roman encampment

Fight fight!

Then there were a pair of special events that required a ticket. And thanks to my friend Nathalia we got the hookup to see the Roman Circus (tickets sold out the week before). It consisted of two sides of the audience (black and white) who thus cheered for their two gladiators. They were on horses for the activities--that is, when they didn't push each other off. They jumped through a flaming ring, and raced chariots. In the end our white team won the challenges. And they decided to kill the losers. It was alarming to hear kids yelling "Kill him, kill him!"

Some fashionable Romans after the circus

So to conclude, it's an awesome festival that takes you back to ancient times (my favorite era) with an amazing ambiance. Also this year was great because my cousin came all the way from America to begin our European adventure. More on that trip soon...

Vienen mis padres!

First major event after the school-year ending was my parents' visit to Galicia. Yupi! Renting a car allowed us to see some sweet sites, even if it was stressful for my padre.

Santiago

In the city of pilgrims, we saw the Cathedral, obviously. We also did some gastronomic exploring, although bear in mind my mom's favorite phrase, "NO ME GUSTA PULPO¨ (I don't like octopus). I took them to a cool place in the forest called Santiso, which uses all-Galician products, and even vegetables from their garden. 

Lugo

Sipping that Galician brew

Most of our time, the walled city was our homebase. Because it's that great! Saturday night they experienced Lugo's free tapas. Then we ended up getting a real dinner of raciones (bigger plates of food shared by everyone) with some of my English-speaking friends jeje. Another day was Lugo's craft beer festival, so my dad and I checked that out. But mom was not forgotten; he got her a donut from the handmade pastry tent. A donut the size of a head. 

Checking out the Castro

We also checked out Castro de Viladonga, the ruins of a Celtic town about 30 minutes outside of Lugo. Apparently it's one of my favorite places to take visitors, seeing as I've been there 3 times in the past 2 months. It's just fascinating to have something so old in our midst. Also the museum helps bridge the gap between the ruins you see and the lives they lived 2000 years ago.

THE WALL.

Another quick excursion from Lugo is the Ancares, aka the area where I (and my best friend) teach. O Cebreiro is about an hour away, and it's the first stop in Galicia on the Camino Francés de Santiago (the French Way to Santiago). But more than just pilgrims pass through, because it's a lovely town known for it's pallozas. Pallozas are the traditional, circular, Galician dwellings made of stone with a thatched roof. I'm not sure if people still live in them or they're just for show. But when we were there someone was repairing the roof of one. And on the way back home we drove by my school to check it out, but since it was a Sunday there was no one around.

A Palloza! In the sun!

The North Coast
Of course the highlight of a visit to Lugo's coast is the beach of As Catedrais. The tide was higher than expected, but after eating it went down far enough to walk around a bit. But we still couldn't go far enough to see the famed arch from the beach. We did, however, get to see it from above, on a cliff.

As Catedrais, not so much sun. 

Asturias

Cudillero

Since we were already at the north coast, the master vacation planner (me) decided to take them to Asturias which is similar to Galicia and can be really quite charming. Our first stop was the town Cudillero, which has a port surrounded by a hill and houses going up. Wouldn't want to live at the top! Here we enjoyed ice cream sundaes (well, Dad missed out and stuck to coffee).

Our stop for the night was Oviedo, the capital of Asturias. There's really a big difference architecturally between Lugo and Oviedo. So fancy! Also nice because we visited my friend who is "super Asturian" and knows a lot about the city, so let's just say he makes a much better tourguide than me haha. For dinner we went out to a sidrería, a typical Asturian cider house. Here's a fun fact I never knew, in most places the waiter is supposed to pour it for you every time, not just the first time. And it's rude to ask for more (no matter how thirsty you are), he's supposed to be aware of how long it's been since he's last poured it for you. By the way, the sidra is poured from up high so that it airs out. They only pour you a little bit at a time because you're supposed to drink it all at once. And also glasses get shared; you leave a tiny bit for the waiter to toss out and thereby "cleaning" it. It was definitely cool seeing them pour back to back from such heights. And for food, I'm sure my parents got something hearty, but for me the main attraction was the HUGE tortón (fried bread made of corn). We split it between the two of us, but realistically needed a 3rd person to help out. Seriously, look at the size of that thing compared to a hand! :O

And that really concludes my parents' adventure in the North. They went down to Madrid for a few days, but I passed on that since it's not really my city. Now to start planning new, interesting places for their next visit!

End of the School Year

While the school year in Spain ends in mid-late June, for me it ended May 29th. I received quite the send-off, even though I'M COMING BACK NEXT YEAR! Yep, I am very lucky to be headed back to the same awesome high school in the fall! So anyways, my last week of school 2014-15 was even funner than usual. With my oldest class we sang karaoke, since I won't have them next year. Only some of them were willing to sing in English, but it ended with us all singing "Bohemian Rhapsody" together. Aw! In some of the other older classes I made a fun (in my humble opinion) game with song clips which in some cases left them really puzzled haha. The younger teens got me gifts: one girl drew an awesome picture of yours truly, the youngest group got me a rose to apologize for misbehaving, and a small class all chipped in to get me a huge box of chocolate. How sweet!

Bolos Celtas / Celtic Bowling

Hola! My computer was down for the count for a while and then I went on a long trip, which is why I haven't been blogging up til now. But there are stories to tell, so I'll get right down to it. Starting with a fieldtrip way back in May with my youngest students to try Celtic bowling...

There are actually a few different types of bowling still actively played in Galicia and Asturias. Well perhaps not so "actively." We went to a town near Navia where they have a type of alley set up in the street, and they play it during certain festivities. In this version of Celtic bowling, the balls are made from wood, the size of a coconut but denser. Then there are 10 pins made of branches. First you stand a few feet behind the pins, and throw the ball however you can to knock the pins down. It's more of a toss/bounce rather than the rolling of our typical American bowling. How ever many pins you knock down is how many points you score. The catch is, after knocking down the pins your ball has to go past a certain line probably 5 meters away. If not they say "te cagaste," you crapped yourself haha. Also, upright on the middle of that line is a little stick, which you get bonus points for knocking over. But if the ball doesn't even go past that line, you aren't able to make a rethrow, which is from behind that line towards the now far-away pins.

When it was my turn to represent Ohio, I only knocked down one. And since the ball passed the line I was able to throw again from further away. And I actually knocked one down!! Ole! I was the only person besides another teacher to knock any down from a distance. Granted, the students are 13 years old, but still, it feels like some sort of accomplishment. On another try, my ball didn't even pass the line, so one of my talkative students called me constipated, because of the crap yourself terminology. Little punk! But it was all in good fun, even if they all repeated the few phrases I said in Spanish for the next weeks of class (this is the class that always tries to get me to speak Spanish, and since it was a fieldtrip and there were other non-English speakers there I had to do it in their presence).

After Celtic bowling, we took a stroll around Navia de Suarna, which has a Medieval bridge. Cool. And a park where I got to ride the see-saw with some students like back in the day. Then we took a very short hike in the woods, accompanied by some dogs who followed us from their house. Oh also this trip was the source of the greatest student quote of the year. Translated into English: So your family speaks English? And you understand them? Wow, that's so cool! Later on I realized I had confused her by saying I live in Lugo, but since I've been the American the whole schoolyear, I thought she'd've known the difference...

Hiking Fieldtrip

As the schoolyear winds down (this week is my last! not forever, thank God) and the weather gets nice, outdoor fieldtrips are popping up like daisies. And luckily because my school is just that wonderful, I got to go on both of them within one week. Yuju!

Shepherd's house

So many flowers! 

The first was a daylong hike in the Ancares with my oldest students, 1* BAC. The landscape was wonderful, especially with many of the hills covered in purple and yellow blooms. In my opinion, there was too much uphill climbing and not enough downhill haha, but we survived. Mostly we walked on the side of hills or up them, but at one point the path opened up to a big valley. In the words of my student, "This is paradise!" Perfect setting for a pastoral play. In fact we stopped to have lunch in Brego, a little abandoned house where shepherds used to spend the summers, caring for their animals that would they would bring from Asturias or Leon to graze in that valley. From the looks of it, that's not much of a tradition anymore, but it would be cool and Thoreau would certainly approve. Wouldn't be a hike in Galicia without coming across some cows. And the handful of kids who had the energy to climb up the Peak of Tres Obispos encountered some wild horses. Our hike ended at the Albergue dos Ancares where we rehydrated and I had a nap in front of a fire. Perfect end to a day outdoors.

Galicia or a tropical rainforest? You tell me!

Checkin out Sancho Panza (Don Quijote's sidekick)

And because of the picture overload, I'll save the other fieldtrip for tomorrow